Chapter 464 – Arming up.

“So… did you or did you not do it?”

“Well… uh…”

“I’ll take that as a no. You promised me you would tell your mother about what happened. This isn’t a game; your life could be in danger.”

“I know, I’ll bring it up soon…”

“Will you?”

Roland frowned at the young girl on the projection before him. He wasn’t using a crystal ball but one of his runic devices that used illusion magic to produce an image resembling a hologram. The projection was in shades of blue, similar to old grayscale television sets from his original world.

“Yes, I promise, I’ll do it this time… oh, and about Robert.”

“Hm…”

His sister Lucienne quickly changed the subject, as she was reluctant to contact their mother about the incident. Roland had anticipated this and called her as soon as he had some free time. It seemed she had started writing a letter but had only finished half of it. Nevertheless, she was taking steps in the right direction and had already asked their mother about Robert, though she hadn’t disclosed everything.

“Yeah, what about him?”

“I’m not sure. Mother said she would look into it and that I shouldn’t worry, but she was acting strange.”

“Strange? Do you think she was keeping something from you?”

“I… I don’t know…”

Roland’s frown deepened as Robert might have been in trouble. Lucienne’s mother was quite fond of her children, so it wouldn’t be strange if she tried to shield them from any potential danger. This included sparing her daughter from worrying about any unfortunate situations her older brother might have encountered. Roland’s instincts told him that there was more to this situation than met the eye, but he was unable to act. His hands were tied here in Albrook.

“I see…”

“Could something bad have happened to Brother Robert? Maybe I should return home and ask Mother again…”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. You’ll be safer at the institute. But if you want to hasten the process, maybe tell your mother about Viola Castellane. Your father might be able to do something about it.”

“I…”

Roland could see his sister’s eyes darting around. It was as if she didn’t want to involve their father, and he somewhat knew why. The man was very distant and involved in many political affairs, making him intimidating. Lucienne’s reluctance was understandable, as she probably didn’t know their father too well. He was rarely home, and it was natural that she didn’t know how to talk to him. To her, the man called Wentworth might as well have been a stranger just like he was to Roland.

‘I’m not sure if that man would even act. I hope he doesn’t force Lucienne to apologize or remove her from the institute to appease that family…’

Roland’s thoughts lingered on the complexities of his family situation as he concluded the conversation with his sister. Lucienne’s reluctance to involve their father was troubling, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to his older brother Robert. However, there was something in the way Francine was acting that gave him an idea about the situation. It seemed that she knew more than she let on, which might mean that Robert’s situation was not as dire as it appeared.

“Lucienne, promise me that you’ll own up to your mother, the longer you try to postpone this issue, the worse it will get.”

“I know and I will!”

“Perhaps, if she isn’t willing to talk about Robert with you, try mentioning something to her.”

“Oh? What should I mention.”

“That you met a very responsible Institute Professor who might be willing to help with a few issues…”

Roland was talking about himself and Lucienne raised an eyebrow at the self-promotion. She responded with a resounding nod as if she made a decision and eventually the two said their farewells. The call ended and the holographic image fizzled out, leaving Roland deep in thought. The installation of the geothermal generator was well underway, but the concerns about his family weighed on his mind. The city’s progress and his inventions were important, but so was the welfare of his two siblings.

‘I bet Francine knows more than she would ever tell Lucienne. Given her character, she would do anything to help her children but will never make them worry.’

There was a reason he told his sister to mention the eccentric Institute Professor that was for some reason willing to help them. Perhaps once out of options, this little window of opportunity would prompt Francine to reach out to him directly. Mentioning his involvement in the recent issue with Viola could also prompt her to seek him out. She would probably wish to thank him in some way and perhaps offer some bribes for further protection. Then, he might be able to push for the answers that he was seeking.

‘Can’t do much now besides preparing for the future…’

Roland turned on the light and looked around his workshop. He was waiting for someone to arrive and right on time, he heard some footsteps in the distance. A lone man appeared, his height short and his beard long. It seemed to have grown a bit but this was not anything too eye-catching, the lack of a limb was.

“Hey boss, you wanted to see me?”

“Yeah, there is one question I want to ask you.”

“A question? Sure boss, what is it?”

“Do you want to have your arm back?”

“Hah, well, If you have a spare one then let me borrow it!”

Bernir chuckled under his breath, clearly trying to lighten the mood, but Roland could see the flicker of hope in his eyes. The loss of his arm had been a devastating blow, and despite Bernir’s efforts to adapt, it was evident that he longed for his former capabilities. At this point in time, he only had a basic golemic arm that could not really replace his hammering hand too well.

The day before, he had asked Elodia about how he was faring, and it seemed he wasn’t doing too well. Without his right arm, he was stuck trying to restrain himself with his left one, which was progressing slowly. It wasn’t easy to switch dominant hands, especially when one had spent their entire life perfecting their craft with the other. Even with the aid of skills, this was not a task that could be easily completed.

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“I do have something in mind, actually. Something that might be able to help you.”

Bernir’s eyes widened with surprise but he then quickly shook his head around as he knew what Roland was implying.

“Boss, please don’t do anything foolish, I know you signed some deal with those Solarian zealots but you don’t have to go that far for me. I’ll be fine, it might take a few more months but I’ve already been getting better with my left hand.”